Naval News – The U.S. Navy’s Pacific-based submarine force is exploring a number of new mission sets for uncrewed undersea vehicles (UUVs) as they rapidly proliferate across the fleet, including new mission sets involving carrier-basing and underway submarine replenishments for contested environments.
Category Archives: UnmannedUnderwaterVehicle
U.S. Navy Orca XLUUV Completes 1,000-Mile Pacific Transit
Naval News – The U.S. Navy completed a 1,000 nautical mile transit with the service’s Orca XLUUV uncrewed submarine in July, a first for the service.
HII – Odyssey Autonomous Control System Briefing
European Defence Review – HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries), America’s largest shipbuilder and producer of the Romulus Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) and the Remus Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), hosted a media briefing on July 20, 2026, discussing its Odyssey Autonomous Control System and recent developments.
(Thanks to Alain)
The US Navy just tested a drone submarine fired from a torpedo tube that swims off on its own to plant a minefield miles from the boat, then settles on the seabed and never comes back, built from the start to be thrown away
Autonocion – General Dynamics drone doesn’t go looking for mines. It plants them, and then it stays down there for good.
(Thanks to Alain)
A 132-pound underwater drone with no propeller can now sit on the seabed for three months listening for submarines with an AI trained on decades of ocean sound. Germany built it, and the UK just ordered a program around hundreds
autoNotion – Finding a submarine that doesn’t want to be found is one of the most expensive problems in modern defense. Norway spent most of 2025 shopping for an answer and picked at least five British-designed Type 26 frigates, a deal Breaking Defense put at roughly $13.5 billion, which works out to about $2.7 billion per hull. A Munich company called Helsing thinks the future of the hunt looks less like a 6,900-ton warship and more like hundreds of 132-pound (60 kg) gliders drifting along at walking pace, each one running an AI that was trained the way you’d train a chatbot, except on decades of recorded ocean sound instead of internet text.
(Thanks to Alain)
Navy SEALs In Mini-Submarines Teamed With Underwater Drones In The Works
The War Zone – Pairing uncrewed underwater vehicles and SEALs in submersibles opens the door to new operational possibilities, but there are challenges.
Hydrogen-fueled drone submarine with 17 sensors could scan Hormuz for naval mines
Interesting Engineering – A European defense technology company has just unveiled the world’s longest-endurance unmanned submarine, which can remain submerged for up to four months without the need for a support vessel.
(Thanks to Alain)
Aussie firm commissions first US export of drone submarine
UK Defence Journal – Australian company C2 Robotics has commissioned and christened its first Speartooth Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle delivered to the United States.
(Thanks to Alain)
World-first submarine drone travels 1,257 miles underwater on hydrogen power
Interesting Engineering – A Canadian company’s submarine drone has traveled more than 1,257 miles fully submerged, powered by hydrogen fuel cells, and completed a 385-hour mission without surfacing.
(Thanks to Alain)
DIU, Navy tap Anduril to prototype Dive-XL autonomous submarine
Breaking Defense – The Dive-XL prototype Anduril will be demonstrating is similar to the Ghost Shark Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (XL-AUVs) being delivered to the Royal Australian Navy.
Company Developing Underwater Stealth Drones
National Defense – New York-based drone manufacturer Cardona Marine Group Inc. is developing a new class of stealth maritime drones that can attach to and attack adversary submarines and ships both underwater and at the surface.
(Thanks to Alain)
Lockheed Martin rapidly developed Lamprey drone, new variants on the way
Naval News – Lockheed Martin rapidly developed its new Lamprey multi-mission autonomous undersea vehicle: The company took just 14 months to develop Lamprey, with future plans to field larger variants and another drone by the end of the year.
Undersea Drone That Attaches Itself To Other Vessels Unveiled By Lockheed
The War Zone – Lamprey can launch aerial drones, launch decoys, and fire torpedoes after arriving discreetly in an operating area by hitching a ride.
Asian navies eye undersea drones to find hidden infrastructure threats
Defense News – Governments and militaries in Southeast Asia are turning to autonomous underwater tech to monitor subsea cables after a series of damaged infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, and recently, in sea lanes surrounding Taiwan.
BlueWhale™ – A True Submarine Force Multiplier
Naval News – Seafaring nations face unique challenges in ensuring the safety, security and sovereignty of their nautical frontiers. Even in times of tranquility they must guard against threats such as terrorism, smuggling, illegal fishing, natural resources theft, and uncontrolled mass immigration. And when conflict does arise, these nations must have anti-submarine and anti-surface vessel warfare capabilities to defend against naval incursion or attack. Even before the outbreak of open hostilities, it is imperative that they be able to detect and track hostile naval forces engaged in intelligence gathering and other covert activities.
(Thanks to Alain)
The Propulsion Disabler Will Be a Strategic Weapon
Clio’s Musings – A propulsion disabler (PD) is a small, passive, torpedo-like device that serves as a cheap, non-lethal mine and torpedo warhead. The proposed munition’s purpose is to destroy a ship’s external propulsion or direction-control mechanisms, leaving the vessel stationary. Production of PDs is possible with today’s emerging robotics technologies.Future PD devices could be used in an autonomous swarm that combines the smallest explosive charge with the greatest disabling effect by attacking a ship at its most vulnerable point. Once PDs become widely available, they may well be the weapon of choice by all navies against civilian ships. Similarly, disabling an enemy’s naval ship rather than sinking it will almost always be the superior choice, certainly for the U.S. Navy. The logic that makes this so will compel adversary navies to make the same choice.
Leidos unveils ‘low-cost’ unmanned undersea vessel ‘Sea Dart’
Breaking Defense – Defense and information technology company Leidos this week unveiled a new unmanned undersea vessel called Sea Dart, what the company is advertising as a “low-cost,” versatile maritime weapon.
(Thanks to Alain)
RFA Proteus begins operations as seabed warfare threats increase
Navy Lookout – Here we look in more detail at the specific threats and how RFA Proteus and the Royal Navy are gradually improving seabed warfare (SBW) capabilities.
Anduril Tackles Maritime Challenges with Autonomous Vehicles
Naval News – Anduril showcased an integrated series of autonomous underwater vehicles and sensors at Sea Air Space 2025, which the defense contractor described as its answer to the “new rules” of maritime sea power.
Anduril unveils ‘Copperhead’ line of autonomous underwater vehicles
Defense News – Anduril Industries unveiled a new family of autonomous underwater vehicles called Copperhead, designed to meet military and commercial needs for larger fleets of uncrewed maritime vessels.